Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6500 N 30
The FY21 NOFO Housing Counseling Training Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number FR 6500 N 30) is a discretionary HUD grant offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 14.316 (Housing). It is designed to strengthen the housing counseling field by funding training that helps build and sustain a professional, effective network of housing counselors and agencies. The basic idea is to make sure housing counselors are well prepared to give consumers reliable, practical guidance so people can make informed housing decisions, while also ensuring that federal housing counseling dollars produce measurable, high-impact results.
A central driver of this opportunity is the housing counselor certification framework created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Under those statutory requirements, individual counselors participating in HUD's Housing Counseling Program must demonstrate competency through a written exam covering the required counseling subject areas. HUD implemented these requirements through a Final Rule issued December 14, 2016 (81 FR 90632), and later adjusted the certification timeline through a subsequent Final Rule issued December 4, 2020 (85 FR 78230). As a practical matter, HUD policy ties this certification requirement to the delivery of housing counseling connected to HUD programs: counseling that is required under, or provided in connection with, HUD programs must be delivered by a HUD-certified counselor who is employed by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency or a participating agency. Because certification is tied to competency in specific subject areas, this grant program focuses heavily on training that prepares counselors to meet those standards.
HUD identifies six core topics in which counselors must be competent for certification and effective service delivery. These topics are: (1) financial management, (2) property maintenance, (3) homeownership and tenancy, (4) fair housing and other civil rights laws and requirements, (5) housing affordability, and (6) avoidance of, and responses to, rental and mortgage delinquency, including strategies to avoid eviction and mortgage default. The NOFO supports training that covers these foundations, recognizing that consistent, high-quality instruction across the core topics is essential both for certification readiness and for ensuring counseling services are accurate, compliant, and useful to clients.
Beyond the baseline core topics, HUD emphasizes several specialized training needs that have become more urgent in recent years. One major focus is expanding the number of counselors and agencies equipped to provide rental housing counseling and mortgage delinquency/default counseling. The NOFO ties this emphasis to COVID-19 era disruptions and the policy responses that followed, including the CARES Act (enacted March 27, 2020) and foreclosure and eviction moratoriums issued by the CDC and FHA. With the possibility of moratoriums expiring and households facing accumulated arrears or resumed enforcement actions, HUD highlights the growing need for counselors who can help renters and homeowners navigate delinquency, loss mitigation options, and pathways to stabilize housing. HUD also explicitly notes that effective delinquency and default counseling can reduce foreclosures and evictions and may help limit losses to the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, reinforcing that this training serves both consumer protection and broader program integrity goals.
Another priority embedded in the NOFO is disaster preparation and recovery. HUD recognizes housing counseling agencies as important community-based intermediaries before and after disasters. Pre-disaster, counselors can incorporate preparedness planning into education and counseling so households understand risks, documents to safeguard, insurance considerations, and basic financial resilience strategies. After a disaster, counselors can help clients make sense of complex recovery systems by connecting them to local, state, and federal resources and helping them work through program requirements, timelines, and documentation. The NOFO therefore supports training curricula that build counselor capacity in disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery counseling, aligning with HUD priorities around resilience and recovery.
The overall structure of the grant is meant to support both basic and advanced instruction, acknowledging that many counselors specialize and need deeper, topic-specific skills to deliver high-quality services. The NOFO contemplates training that ranges from broad certification-aligned content to more targeted courses in rental counseling, mortgage delinquency/default counseling, and disaster-related counseling. HUD also signals an interest in expanding practical, place-based training by encouraging housing counseling agencies to partner with local and statewide organizations. The intent is to make training more responsive to state and local housing conditions, laws, court processes, and resource networks, which can vary widely and strongly influence client outcomes.
A further expected outcome is the expansion of training access through scholarships. The NOFO indicates that funding should result in an increased number of training scholarships, which is an important workforce development lever for smaller agencies, rural providers, and organizations serving high-need communities that may not otherwise be able to absorb the full cost of specialized training and certification preparation.
In terms of applicant eligibility and award scale, the program is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). HUD anticipated making around five awards, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per award. The opportunity was posted November 2, 2021, with an original application deadline of November 19, 2021 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern.Apply for FR 6500 N 30
- The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY21 NOFO Housing Counseling Training Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.316.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 02, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2021 The application deadline is 115959 PM Eastern Standard time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY21 NOFO Housing Counseling Training Grant Program?
It is a discretionary HUD grant offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 14.316 (Housing). The program funds housing counseling training intended to strengthen and professionalize the housing counseling field by helping build and sustain an effective network of housing counselors and agencies.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this NOFO?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FR 6500 N 30.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The main purpose is to fund training that prepares housing counselors to provide consumers with reliable, practical guidance for informed housing decisions, while also supporting measurable, high-impact results from federal housing counseling dollars.
How does this NOFO relate to HUD housing counselor certification requirements?
The NOFO is closely tied to the housing counselor certification framework established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Individual counselors participating in HUD's Housing Counseling Program must demonstrate competency through a written exam covering required counseling subject areas, and this grant focuses heavily on training that supports those competency standards.
What HUD rules implemented and adjusted the certification requirements?
HUD implemented the certification requirements through a Final Rule issued December 14, 2016 (81 FR 90632), and later adjusted the certification timeline through a subsequent Final Rule issued December 4, 2020 (85 FR 78230).
When is HUD-certified counseling required for HUD-related counseling?
HUD policy ties certification to counseling that is required under, or provided in connection with, HUD programs. In those cases, the counseling must be delivered by a HUD-certified counselor who is employed by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency or a participating agency.
What are the six core training topics emphasized by HUD for counselor competency?
HUD identifies six core topics: (1) financial management, (2) property maintenance, (3) homeownership and tenancy, (4) fair housing and other civil rights laws and requirements, (5) housing affordability, and (6) avoidance of, and responses to, rental and mortgage delinquency, including strategies to avoid eviction and mortgage default.
Does the NOFO support training beyond the six core topics?
Yes. In addition to the baseline core topics, HUD emphasizes specialized training needs, including expanding capacity for rental housing counseling, mortgage delinquency/default counseling, and disaster preparation and post-disaster recovery counseling.
Why does the NOFO emphasize rental housing counseling and mortgage delinquency/default counseling?
HUD connects this emphasis to COVID-19 era disruptions and related policy responses, including the CARES Act and foreclosure and eviction moratoriums issued by the CDC and FHA. With potential moratorium expirations and accumulated arrears, HUD highlights the need for counselors who can help households navigate delinquency, loss mitigation options, and housing stabilization pathways.
How does delinquency and default counseling support broader HUD program goals?
HUD notes that effective delinquency and default counseling can reduce foreclosures and evictions and may help limit losses to the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, supporting consumer protection and program integrity goals.
What disaster-related training does this grant support?
The NOFO supports training that builds counselor capacity in both disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery counseling. This includes incorporating preparedness planning into education and counseling before disasters and helping clients navigate recovery systems and connect to local, state, and federal resources after disasters.
What types of training does the NOFO contemplate (basic vs. advanced)?
The NOFO is structured to support both basic and advanced instruction. It contemplates training ranging from broad certification-aligned content to more targeted courses in rental counseling, mortgage delinquency/default counseling, and disaster-related counseling.
Does HUD encourage partnerships as part of the training approach?
Yes. HUD signals an interest in expanding practical, place-based training and encourages housing counseling agencies to partner with local and statewide organizations so training can better reflect state and local housing conditions, laws, court processes, and resource networks.
Does the NOFO include expectations around training scholarships?
Yes. The NOFO indicates that funding should result in an increased number of training scholarships to expand access, particularly benefiting smaller agencies, rural providers, and organizations serving high-need communities that may not be able to absorb the full cost of specialized training and certification preparation.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
How many awards did HUD anticipate making?
HUD anticipated making around five awards.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $2,000,000 per award.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on November 2, 2021.
What was the application deadline for this NOFO?
The original application deadline was November 19, 2021 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern.
What is the overall intended outcome for the housing counseling field?
The intended outcome is a stronger, more professional, and more effective housing counseling workforce and agency network, supported by consistent, high-quality training aligned with certification standards and responsive to urgent needs such as delinquency counseling and disaster recovery.
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| FY 2022 Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program Apply for FR 6600 N 52 Funding Number: FR 6600 N 52 Agency: US Department of Housing and Urban Development Category: Housing Funding Amount: $20,000,000 |
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